Anthony Gordon scored four in the Champions League for Newcastle United as they beat Qarabag 6-1.
Anthony Gordon put his claim down to be Newcastle United’s starting striker moving forward after scoring four at Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The 24-year-old’s four first-half goals in Baku took his tally to 14 for the season, 10 of which have come in the Champions League. Only Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid has scored more times in the Champions League this season than Gordon yet in the Premier League the England international has scored just three times, two of which have been penalties.
The disparity has been something of a talking point this season, but Gordon has impressed head coach Eddie Howe since returning to a more central position, while Nick Woltemade has impressed since being deployed in a deeper role.
Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon’s role
Newcastle started the season with Gordon leading the line before a £124million spend on Woltemade and Yoane Wissa. Yet as the club heads into the business end of the season, Howe finds himself reverting back to using Gordon as a striker.
Although he has scored just once from open play in the Premier League this season, Gordon is Newcastle’s outright top scorer in all competitions, ahead of Harvey Barnes with 12 and Woltemade with 10.
“I think he's been really good in that position,” Howe said when assessing Gordon as a striker. “Looking back to the Liverpool game, I thought he was excellent. He scores and he's really shown that he wants to play there, which is hugely important.
“And then he's got the qualities to play. I thought his pressing [v Qarabag] was incredible for us.
“I think that gave us the platform to build off of the back of his work and a lot of high-pressing regains, a lot of counter-attack opportunities for us. Of course, he's taken the four goals and he'll get the headlines naturally, but I thought he was all around game was really strong.”
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Anthony Gordon on being Newcastle United’s striker
While Gordon has largely being used as a left-winger for Newcastle and England, he also relishes playing in a central role.
“You know, I’m always confident,” he said. “I always back myself. I love playing number nine. I’ve said it a lot.
“The perspective of me playing that position earlier on was that it wasn’t working, which I didn’t believe or think was true.
“I was playing really well, I just wasn’t getting the goals. To me, as a striker, that’s kind of important! Thankfully recently I’ve been playing well and getting the end product to go with it. I do like playing in the position.
“I want more. I want more goals. I should have had more goals [v Qarabag]. I should have scored six. I missed two really, not easy chances, but chances I should score, which I normally would score, so it’s good to get four but I should have had more, I think.”
Newcastle have bounced back from three successive defeats with three straight away wins, scoring 11 goals in the process. It has seen the side progress to the FA Cup fifth round, climb back into the top half of the Premier League table and almost ensure qualification to the last-16 of the Champions League.
“Of course, it’s incredible. It’s what every player wants, dreams of but I’m more just happy for everyone else because I know the past couple of weeks I know what we’ve been through,” Gordon explained. “It’s been tough. It’s not about me. It’s about us as a team, showing great character because times can get tough. It’s up to us to show that we are capable of anything.”
Next up for Newcastle in the Premier League and indeed the FA Cup is Manchester City. The Magpies have faced City three times already this season, losing both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final but winning the reverse fixture in the Premier League 2-1 back in November.
“They’re a tough team to play,” Gordon said. “Everyone is really happy at the minute. I just said then, football is so emotional. You’re either too high or low a lot of the time.
“Now we’re in a good place we can’t get too high, or too confident because the games are coming thick and fast and if we do we’ll be back in the place we was.
“We have to stay with the same mentality, the same focus and that will lead us to where we want to get to.”
Anthony Gordon delivers NUFC penalty message
A talking point during and after the game was Gordon’s determination to take the second penalty for Newcastle against Qarabag having already scored a hat-trick. Newcastle captain for the evening Kieran Trippier appeared to take issue with Gordon taking the penalty over Woltemade.
The German striker recently had a potential penalty taken out of his hands by Bruno Guimaraes in the defeat against Brentford earlier this month. Woltemade emphatically scored his only in game penalty for Newcastle in a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest earlier this season but did miss in the FA Cup shootout win over AFC Bournemouth last month.
Of Gordon’s 14 goals this season, eight have been penalties with a 100% conversion record from the spot.
Gordon was chosen as Newcastle’s designated penalty taker following the departure of Alexander Isak last summer and has taken to the role well.
Despite scoring three already, after winning a second penalty against Qarabag Gordon was determined to step up once again despite some backlash.
Gordon said: “No one was taking that ball from me! I worked very hard for it.”
And when asked if he would have taken any more penalties had they been awarded in the match, he added: “Yes, of course.
“Everyone wants individual success, of course, I’m not going to stand here and lie. But listen, it’s about the team. It always is, because if the team don’t win, individuals don’t mean anything.”
What is clear to Woltemade, Trippier and any other player is that if Gordon is on the pitch, he will be taking the penalty for Newcastle United.
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